Improvement in street-sweeping machines



"UNITED, STATES PATENT GFFICE.

H. s. BLOOD, or Nuvi onLEANsLoUIsIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN STREET-SWEEPING MACHINES.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 4 1,673, dated February 23, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, H. S. BLOOD,.ot` New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana,have in vented a new and Improved Street-Sweeping Machine 5 and I do hereby declare that the iollowin g is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specication, in which- Figure l, Sheet No. 1, is aside sectional view of my invention taken in theline 0c x, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3, Sheet No. 2, is an enlarged detached side view ofthe dirt discharging mechanism.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

A This invention consists in the employment or useof a rotary brush placed in an oblique position in a mounted frame in connection with a curved inclined dirt-plate and a dirtreceptacle provided with a dirt discharging apron, all arranged to operate in such a manner that the dirt will be cleanlyswept up from the pavement of the street and di charged at suitable or desired `intervals in piles, as hereinafter` fully set forth. c

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a rectangular frame, which is suppported at its front part by a pair of trnckwheels, B B, the axle G of which is connected by a king-bolt, c, with a curved aim, D, attached to the front part of the frame A. To the axle C the draft-pole E is attached.

The back part ot' the frame A is supported by two wheels, F F', which are considerably larger in diameter than the wheels B. These wheels F F may be placed on independent or separate axles, or they may be attached permanently to a common axle arranged to turn in the frame A like a caraxle. The axle or axles of these wheels F have an oblique position relatively with the frame A, as will be seen by referring to Fig. n), and to the axles ot the wheels F bevel-wheels G G are respectively attached.

The bevelwheel G of the axle of the wheel F gears into a bevel pinion, H, which is on one end of a shaft, Iof a cylindrical brush, J the shaft I having its bearings in pendants at the back part of the frame A.

The brush J may be constructed ot whalebone or any other suitable, elastic material, and it is parallel with they back and front of the frame A; but, as the wheels F F havean oblique position relatively with said frame, the brush J, ofcourse, also has an oblique position relatively with them, and consequently has an oblique position relatively with the line of draft.

K is a curved inclined plate, which is secured in the frame A directly in iront of the cylindrical brush J, the curvature of the plate K corresponding to thecurvature ofthe brush, as shown in Fig. l. This plate is constructed of metal, and it extends the whole length ofthe brush J, and its upper end is bent or curved so as to project over into the upper part of a box, L, which is at the frontpart of the t'rame A. (See more particularly Fig. l.) i

The lower part of the plate K has a strip, M, of indiarubber or other suitable elastic material, attached to it. This strip M bears or rests upon the pavement underneath the brush J, as clearly shown in Fig. l.

In the lower part of the box L there is placed an endless apron, N, which works over suitable rollers, one at each end of the box L. This apron N may be constructed in any proper manner, but I design to have them made in a manner similar to the endless platforms of horse-powers, so that they will be strong and dui able.

At the hack part ot' the frame A and parallel therewith there isa shat't, 0, one of the bearings, b, of which is allowed to slide, and

` upon the shaft O, near this bearing, there is a bevel-pinion, I), which, by moving the bearing b, may be shoved in and out of gear with the l)evel\vheel G of the axle of the whcel F. On the shaft O there is also placed a bevel wheel, Q., which gears into a corresponding wheel, R, on a shaft, S, the latter being parallel with one side ofthe frame A and extending through the box L, and having a pnlley, T, on its front end, around which and a pulley, U, on the axis of one of the rollers of the endless apron N a belt, V, passes.

At one end of the box L there is a door, W. which is hinged at its upper end, as shown at c c in Fig. 2. This door W is connected by an arm, X, to a crank, d, on a small shaft, e, on the frame A, and said shaft e is provided With an arm, f, connected to a bar, Y, the back end of which is attached to one end of a lever, Z, the opposite end of the latter being connected to an upright lever, A', the lower `end of which is attached to the sliding bearing 11 ofl the shaft 0, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The lever A is held in position to retain the pinion l? both in and out of gear with the wheel G' by means of a spring-catch, B. (Shown in Fig. 2.)

The operation is as follows: As the machine is drawn along, the cylindrical brush J is rotated in the direction indicated bythearrow 1, and through the medium of the gearing G H, and said brush, as it rotates, is in contact with the pavement and brushes the dirt up the inclined curved plate K, the dirt passing over the upper bent or curved end of K into boXL and upon the endless apron N, which isy stationary on account of the wheel G' being out of gear with the bevel-pinion P. 'The india rubber or elastic strip M, in consequence of pressing against the pavement, prevents the brush sweeping any dirt underneath it, and insures all the dirt acted upon by the brush J being forced up the plate K and into the box L. When the box L has received a suflicient supply of dirt, the operator orattendant actuates the upright lever A so as to throw the bevel-pinion l? in gear with the bevel G', and the shafts 0 and S will consequently be rotated and the endless apron N moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 2. Simultaneously with the commencement of the movement of the apron N the door W is opened, which is eifected through the medium of the lever Z, bar Y, arm f, and crank d of shaft e and arm X, connected to the door W, and crank d and the apron N discharges the dirt from the box L.

When the dirtis discharged from the box L, the operator or attendant actuates the lererA so as to throw the bevel-pinion P out of gear with the wheel G', and the movement of the endless apron N ceases, and the door Wis closed`simultaneously with the cessation of movement of the apron.

There are several advantages attending the oblique position of the cylindrical rotating brush J, to wit: First, the brush is allowed to work or operate in the gutters of the street as far as the wheel of the machine is allowed to go and takethe dirt from the gutter in adirection toward the middle of the street 5 second, square block pavements are frequently laid diagonally, and the brush J is therefore allowed to sweep lengthwise of the sea-ms or joints, which is preferable to sweeping across them third. I am enabled to use a perfectly-cylindrical brush, whereas were the brush arranged to work at right angles with the street it would necessarily be required to be of concave form to correspond to the convexty of the street; fourth, the machine is rendered more compact and simple, as many parts required on street-sweeping machines hitherto usedL are dispensed with.

I do not claim, separately, the oblique position of the brush J, for brushes thus arranged have been previously used 3 but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The rotating brush J, in combination with the dirt-plate K, provided at its lower end with the elastic strip M, arranged to op erate in the manner substantially as and for the purpose specified. L y

2. The endless apron N, placed in the box or dirt-receiver L, for the purpose of discharging the dirt therefrom when used in combina tion with the brush J, for the purpose set forth.

3. The operating of the endless apron N from the drivingwheel F by means of the shaft 0 S, gearing G P Q R, and endless belt V, as described.

et. The operating of the door. W from the lever A' simultaneously With the throwingin i i t and out of gear of the pinion vPavith the wheel G', substantially as described.

5. The combination of the rotating brush J, endless apron N, and dirt-plate K, all conv structed and arranged to operate in the manner substantially as and for the purpose here# in set forth.

H. S. BLOOD.

Witnesses:

C. IZARD, J As. FURNEAUX. 

